Main Street receives preliminary plan of action

In a 90-minute presentation Thursday, the four-member team that will guide Main Street Demopolis over the next several years presented a preliminary plan of action with the purpose of revitalizing downtown Demopolis.

What the team shared came after an intense three-day visit to the city, walking and riding throughout the area, talking with business owners, community leaders and citizens, and studying the results of an on-line poll.

In six weeks, they will return to deliver a detailed plan for Main Street Demopolis and its supporters to follow.

Led by Main Street Alabama director Mary Helmer Werth, the team members spoke on their areas of expertise, using photos and art to illustrate their topics. Throughout the presentation, they stressed the focus of the program is economic development.

A vibrant downtown matters, said Werth. Most communities have the same national franchise businesses. “Unless you see a landmark, you don’t know where you’re at,” she said.

The team found Demopolis has opportunities for business and growth with its charm, good building stock and vacant buildings available downtown. Its main drawbacks are dilapidated buildings, absentee owners and the lack of an entertainment district, Werth continued.

Developing partnerships among businesses, city leaders, developers and entrepreneurs is key to success, whether or not Main Street Alabama is on site.

Jay Schlinsog, who has 32 years of experience with Main Street programs, complemented the city for the response of 201 people who answered the on-line poll set up Tuesday. The survey will remain up through Oct. 4 at www.surveymonkey.com/r/demopolis. It also can be accessed on the Main Street Demopolis Facebook page.

Schlinsog said Main Street’s focus is economic development within the context of historic preservation in the existing downtown economy. “It’s the story you have to tell about this place.”

In some instances, buildings can be reconfigured for a new use since an empty space is lost economic activity.

“It’s in everyone’s best interest to fill those empty spaces,” he said.

But it is also important to support existing businesses as well as to promote those vacant storefronts. Trisha Black, who has been with Main Street Alabama since 2016, started her segment by saying, “Change is coming your way.”

She presented suggestions and showed examples from other cities on how the downtown area can be established as a destination.

She will be helping Demopolis to fashion a “brand” that can be used in all Main Street advertising and create a cohesive image. While doing so, the Main Street Demopolis program can work with partners in preservation programs and promote economic vitality, volunteer engagement and special programs and events.

Immediate actions she suggested include updating images on Google Maps, compiling a list of events and promoting successful new or expanding businesses.

Architect Ben Moore, who has 23 years of experience working on downtown renovation projects, told the audience he was very impressed with the historic buildings available. In the short term, Demopolis can hold clean-up days, remove litter and weeds and clean up empty storefronts to be more attractive to potential buyers.

Main Street Demopolis needs to identify potential buildings as “partners” by developing an action plan and stopping any further damage from occurring, he said.  Such buildings can be targets for adaptive reuse – preparing them for new purposes.